One Me, Two Selves
by HitoriOkami
Summary: World Trigger fan fiction centered around Kyousuke Karasuma! Karasuma is a half human and half neighbor. He struggles to find his place in society and must live under HQ's constant surveillance. Will he be able to live up to their expectations and find where he belongs? Karasuma X Konami pairing! Rated M for precautions.
1. Welcome to Headquarters!

**Oh. Well. This is awkward. Hiiiii guys! Been quite a while if I do say so myself xD I've dropped two stories in the past, and I make no promises that I'll continue this one. Why have I decided to come back after all this time, you may ask? Well, for some reason no one's made a fanfic about the Karasuna x Konami pairing yet from World Trigger! Like why the heck not D: So yeah. I definitely haven't improved my storytelling skills whatsoever. But if someone reads this and becomes inspired to write their own Karasuma x Konami fanfic, then my goal is complete. Anyways, here we gooooo.**

 **Oh yeah. I don't wanna say this takes place in an AU... I took the basic concepts of World Trigger and kinda changed things around. I'll explain in the story. And the ages are all tweaked to my preferences. Kbye.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Welcome to Headquarters!

 _The rain kept falling, drenching the two figures hiding along one of the walls of Headquarters. He knew it wouldn't be long before the merciless agents would find them. Before they were tracked down, he hastily took action. He maneuvered his body closer to the woman before him, causing her to lose balance from her weakened state and fall on her bottom. Her back was forced onto the wall as he caged her in with one of his arms._

" _No!"_

 _Her hand was forcefully clasped onto the handle of her gun by his free hand, which held hers in place. His strength overpowered her resistance. Thrashing out her legs against his body to push him away from her was pointless. He lifted her hand, the gun still in her grasp, and pointed to his forehead._

" _Goodbye."_

 _Her scream and the gunshot echoed throughout the air._

* * *

Kyousuke's eyes fluttered open, greeted by a clouded sky. Lifting himself off the pile of trash he gathered underneath him as his makeshift bed and into a sitting position with his legs sprawled out in front of him, he dusted the dirt off his head and rubbed his temples.

 _Why do I always die in my dreams? And by that same chick..._

He stood, slightly losing his balance due to lack of circulation in his legs, and gathered his possessions into his patched, khaki knapsack.

 _Tch. Well, at least she's easy on the eyes. I guess I don't mind being killed by a babe. Wait, does that make me a pervert?_

"Aghhh," he grumbled as he ruffled his raven black hair. After letting out a large yawn, he proceeded to leave the garbage dump behind and headed in the direction towards Headquarters.

The date was May 9, 2072.

Specifically, it was Kyousuke Karasuma's birthday.

Even more specifically, it was the day he was to join Border's forces as an agent to protect society.

* * *

"Hey, make room. _I said,_ make room! You wanna get me killed?"

"What the hell? Who let _him_ in?"

"They still haven't gotten rid of him yet?! What is HQ thinking?"

"Don't let him near you. You'll get infected."

"Do you smell that? He _reeks_ of death….."

Kyousuke shot the slanted-eyed, snooty male who made the last remark a menacing glare.

 _No you fucking idiot, that's the rotten egg I accidentally slept on top of last night._

Kyousuke ignored the remarks that were made as he passed by the agents in the hallways of Headquarters. None particularly bothered him besides the one regarding his smell. He hadn't washed before going to the meeting he was summoned to-not like he had an option since he didn't have a home to bathe in or money to go to the public baths.

 _If you think this smell bothers you, just imagine how I feel you shitty piece of-_

"You're Kyousuke Karasuma, I assume?"

Kyousuke left his thoughts and lifted his golden eyes to meet a pair of blue eyes owned by a sleazy-looking young man munching on rice crackers.

"And you're my guide for today, I assume?" Kyousuke responded.

"Ahahaha, I can tell what you're thinking Karasuma-kun. You're probably thinking why HQ sent a talented elite to show you around! Don't worry, I don't mind. In fact, you can depend on me whenever you need help! Hm? What's that face mean? Oh, you think I'm lying and just putting on a front. No, no, no, Karasuma-kun, have more trust in others! Hm, though I guess it is bad to trust people too easily, ahahahahaaha-!"

Kyousuke's scorn remained on his face.

 _Uweh. I can already feel HQ's hate for me. The fact that they sent a guy who never shuts up and relentlessly annoys the hell out of others…_

"I'm sorry but, what should I call you… or more like, what's your name?" asked Kyousuke, cutting off the delirious man.

"Oh! My bad. I'm Yuichi Jin, HQ's talented elite!" Jin added with a wink.

* * *

"-and here are the showers. I probably should've showed you this place at the start of the tour so you could've washed before the meeting...Oh well! Just don't stand too close to the chiefs and managers and you're fine."

With that, Jin led Kyousuke to their final destination-the meeting room. They departed to Kyousuke's delight, and he was left alone in front of the ominous room.

 _I mean, I don't have to be here if I don't want to be... but then again, will I be happy roaming around on the streets forever? Tch. Well, if I stay on the streets it's more likely that I'll be shot by some random agent. At least here I'll be protected to some extent._

Pushing open the heavy, black doors wide open, Kyousuke was met with a long, large rectangular table. Sitting at the head of it was Masamune Kido, Border Headquarter's commander-in-chief. Kyousuke easily identified him as so because he had been the one to invite him here. Along the sides of the table sat the other important figures of Headquarters such as Motokichi Kinuta and Masafumi Shinoda. They were all called in to discuss whether or not Kyousuke should be allowed access into society as a Border agent, or be quickly dispelled of to avoid any risks to the safety of citizens.

"Kyousuke Karasuma," Kido began, "we've summoned you here for two reasons, reasons that I'm sure you've already gotten the gist of. I will state them so that everyone in this room is on the same page. First, because you pose a threat to society. Out of all my years of being in charge of Border, I have never witnessed a case such as yours until you came into existence. Although this makes you unique and special, this doesn't mean this is something to look brightly upon nor be proud of."

...and it wasn't something that Kyousuke was ever proud of. At least, everyone around him, even his own father, made him feel like he was anathema to society.

Earth.

At first, it was a world inhabited by humans. Yet as other worlds continued to circulate around their orbits and collide with the Earth's path, beings of different DNA infiltrated the vulnerable planet. They were called Neighbors.

Headquarters had little information regarding specimen of other planets as Earth hadn't had much contact with them. However, the large invasion of Mikado City several years ago was led by beings that held the power to transform beings they bit into creatures-or what society deemed as monsters-that lost their human conscience and gave into their darkness. Some people took on a mutated form and lost the ability to properly communicate as well as complete control over their actions. They would revert back to a four-legged stance and their skin would deteriorate into a muddy green hue, their flesh wrinkling and peeling off with each passing moment. Ripped flesh from their bones would not faze them. Normally, their first instinct was to attack any non-infected humans-either for food or to make more comrades. They hunt in groups to make the attack easier. These infected beings were commonly referred to as "Ghouls."

Then there was another category of infected humans. However, these victims maintained their regular appearance and composure. Only their consciences were affected. Their goals are the same as ghoul's-to eat or to transform others. However, they blend easily into society as they still maintain their original form and personality. These infected humans maintain the ability to partially transform into "Ghouls" when feasting or attacking their prey. These victims are commonly referred to as "Shadows."

In regards to both victims of the large Neighbor invasion several years ago, it is believed that when they consume their prey, the Trion supply of their prey is stored inside their bodies, making them powerful foes to society. Although it is unheard of ghouls wielding Triggers, the very thought of it had sent society into mass hysteria once before. However, Border was then established. Most Ghouls and Shadows had been exterminated since then, and rarely have there been cases on the news regarding attacks.

Kyousuke was half-human and half-Ghoul. When Headquarters came across this information, most assumed he was simply a Shadow that needed to be exterminated of. He did in fact appear to be human and did hold the abilities of Neighbor-infected-humans. However, being halves of both specimen, Kyousuke held more onto his human conscience than regular Shadows did. His consciousness wasn't completely overcome by darkness and the intent to feed on others. In fact, he seemed almost completely normal. However, by stimuli that he has yet to identify, his appetite and anger are occasionally triggered and there have been cases of him randomly attacking citizens. Unlike Shadows that can control their hunger and feeding mannerisms, Kyousuke loses himself in a feeding or attacking frenzy like Ghouls do; actually, he has been able to identify one stimulus. As Ghouls tend to attack in groups, when witnessing an attack itself Kyousuke will immediately morph and be pulled into the attack as well, allowing his urges to take over his reasoning. As reports of him flooded into Headquarters, Chief Kido quickly took action and summoned Kyousuke to a meeting. If he had not shown, he would have been the target of a mass hunting conducted by all Border agents.

"Yet," Kido continued, "with you being half-human and half-Ghoul, those of us at Headquarters have decided to consider your half-human side's rights."

Kyousuke was taken aback by this. He didn't expect those at Headquarters to be so...reasonable.

Kido, noticing Kyousuke's reaction, explained, "The second reason why we summoned you is to tell you that we've settled on the decision to take you underneath our wings and to guide your human side. We wish to help you to defeat that Shadow conscience of yours and to use your abilities to society's benefit. This means that you will be protected under Headquarter's watch so long as you follow our guidelines and rules."

"So basically I'm exchanging my freedom for my life?"

Kido laughed slightly.

"No. You're exchanging your freedom for society's safety. You're being kept alive, are you not?"

 _That's not what I meant, and you know that, you sly bastard._ Kyousuke exchanged knowing looks with the commander-in-chief but decided against saying anything, avoiding accidentally angering the onlookers on the side.

"If I may interrupt, I'd like to introduce myself," said one of the younger-looking gentlemen. "I am the General Manager, Masafumi Shinoda. Now that we've welcomed you here, and I'm assuming you've accepted your invitation here as you basically have no choice, I will be telling you the rules of living as one of Border's agents and the restrictions that only apply to you for obvious reasons."

Kyousuke nodded, greeting the speaker, and listened intently to what was to come.

"First, you will have to train daily. Everyone here at Border uses Triggers. I'm sure you've heard of them. They're weapons specialized to destroy the bodies of Neighbor-infected-humans and to collect their Trion. The Trion is then sent back to Headquarters to store in our vault protected by Trion infused shields to protect it from intruders. Everyone is to learn how to use Trigger guns-the type depending on your preferences. After you've skillfully mastered the weapon, you may move on to learning how to use other Triggers.

Karasuma, aside from weapons, you will also be assigned to a partner to keep watch over you 24/7. Well, in general you will be assigned a group. Within that group, you will have someone who will have to remain by your side during your training and missions for obvious reasons.

You are not allowed to attend away missions for now…unless Headquarters decides otherwise in the future.

If you attack any civilians or our agents, then your membership will immediately be revoked and we will decide your punishment if that time ever comes. And I hope it won't ever come.

So with this, our meeting has come to an end. We've already called in your partner; they'll show you around again because I'm sure Jin didn't go through each area thoroughly enough. It's quite easy to get lost because the hallways look quite similar to one another. When you meet your groupmates, don't feel discouraged if they're a bit unwelcoming. We sprung this on them last minute and they're quite agitated. But don't worry, they're kind kids and you'll get used to each other quickly."

The heavy, black doors were pushed wide open behind of Kyousuke. Jin stood behind Kyousuke's partner, wearing a goofy smile and waving at him mouthing the words "Have fun!"

Ignoring the carefree elite, Kyousuke focused his attention on the wimpy, pre-pubescent figure before him.

"Listen up! My name is Teruteru Koda, but you can refer to me as "sensei" since I'll be teaching you everything from now on. Headquarters assigned you under my leadership for a reason, so you better be compliant! Yah hear?"

 _You've got to be kidding me... some birthday this turned out to be._

* * *

 **Lmfao, no Konami yet. Sorry. Maybe in the next chapter. Or next. Don't worry, I'm quite impatient too so she should be here soon xD**


	2. Koda Unit

**Lmao I'm tryna get this out ASAP. Like I mentioned before, I'm quite impatient. I'm an avid reader of fanfictions just like you guys, and I wanna just get to the "good" parts aka lovey-dovey parts too y'know! But even though I say this, idk if anything is gonna happen in the chapter. Well, here goes. Enjoyyyy. Kbye.**

* * *

Chapter 2: Koda Unit

"Hell. No."

"Oi! You can't speak to me like that. You should be saying 'I don't want to, sensei"-wait no, you shouldn't be saying no at all and just accept whatever I tell you to do! 'Yes sensei, of course sensei, teach me sensei, thank you sensei' is all that should be coming out of your filthy mouth!"

Koda was seething from anger at Kyousuke's uncooperative behavior. Immediately after leaving the meeting room, Koda began to list off all the chores Kyousuke was expected to do by himself. He was viewed as the team's personal slave.

"Listen here, _kid-_ a, I'm not your fucking maid, I'm your partner. Unless you want us both to die while in combat, you better start taking this serious and start showing me how things work around here. I don't expect you to teach me everything, I mean, it doesn't seem like you're very capable of much, but you should at least be able to teach me the basics, _right?_ "

Before Koda could respond, the other two teammates had returned from training and had overheard Kyousuke's back talk.

"Oh, good timing Saotome and Hinoe! Here's our new maid-wait no, I meant, our new team member! He's a little rebellious, but I didn't expect much to begin with."

"Hey, we heard your back talk all the way from over there! You better apologize to your _sensei_!" mocked Saotome.

The two members looked Kyousuke up and down, evaluating his human-like appearance and sizing him up.

" _Eugh_ , it's so... _creepy_ ," remarked Hinoe, referring to Kyousuke.

"Don't forget to add that he reeks of something rotten, _blegh_ ," chimed in Saotome. The other two members joined him in laughter.

Kyousuke rolled his eyes inwardly and thought to himself, _Out of all the Border agents, why was I stuck with these three immature idiots… HQ must really hate me._

* * *

"So how're you liking your teammates and training so far, Karasuma-kun?" Jin asked while munching on his rice crackers.

"I thought you were as bad as Border agents could get...I was mistaken."

"Ahahaha, you're quite the joker aren't yah!"

 _That wasn't a joke…_ Kyousuke inwardly sighed. It had been about 4 months since joining Border. Unlike everyone else who had a home to go back to, Kyousuke was given his own room at Border to dwell in for the time being.

" _Until you can support yourself, Karasuma, we at Border will provide for you in the meantime,"_ stated Shinoda prior to dismissing Kyousuke with Koda after the meeting was finished.

 _What a joke,_ inwardly sighed Kyousuke. He knew there'd be no way for him to ever find a part-time job if he was required to train everyday, and he knew that the heads of Border was aware of that as well. By giving him these limitations, Kyousuke would remain under Border's custody and surveillance without fail.

 _I guess I shouldn't mind too much, though. I do get free food, shelter, and more importantly, free showers._

Everywhere he went he was ignored or became a target for harassment. The only person who treated him like any other "normal" person was Jin, though Jin didn't seem so normal himself. But that was just based on Kyousuke's senses and he didn't have any basis for his suspicions.

Koda didn't live up to his "sensei" title as much as he believed he did. Instead, Kyousuke had Jin teach him how to handle Trigger guns. At first, he feared touching any of Border's weapons. Because Kyousuke was half-Ghoul, he wasn't sure if the weapons could kill him or not. He didn't want to find out. Jin reassured him that he had nothing to worry about in training. Agents were directed to avoid practicing battles with unsheathed or loaded weapons. Instead, the swords used were always sheathed and dummy bullets were placed inside the guns. Jin also mentioned to Kyousuke how inside training rooms, real Trion bullets couldn't ricochet off of walls. This put him at ease. He needed to practice controlling his Trion usage, but he would've been too reluctant to do so if he was at risk of being shot by any stray bullets.

Every other day, Kyousuke held sparring sessions with Jin using Trigger swords. His abilities in wielding both types of weapons revealed his potential in becoming a proficient All-Rounder battle-type Border agent.

"Hey...so, has anyone told you yet?" questioned Jin.

"Told me what?" Kyousuke asked, slightly worried.

"Guess that means no. Figures. Koda is quite irresponsible when it comes to remembering things. Oh, well, it doesn't matter! You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

Kyousuke wandered through the hallways of Headquarters, lost and confused on how to find his way to the same meeting room he was summoned to 4 months ago. He passed by a couple doing PDA in one of the hallways, openly eating each other's faces. Disturbed, Kyousuke quickly found a path that led away from the couple that kept moaning what he assumed were their names-he couldn't stand another "Tachikawa-kun" or "Kunichika" being said again.

* * *

"You're 20 minutes late Karasuma!" angrily yelled Shinoda.

"Sorry, these hallways still confuse me," apologized Kyousuke.

 _I ended up passing by that couple 3 more times too, tch. The girl was pretty cute though. I wouldn't mind hooking up with someone if they ended up looking like-_ Kyousuke thought back to the girl in his dreams.

"Oi, listen up newbie!" yelled Motokichi Kinuta, Headquarter's developmental chief. Kyousuke snapped out of his thoughts.

"Have you been listening to anything I've been saying?! Like I said, today you're being sent out on your first mission with your teammates. Make sure to intently listen to directions. You'll be targeting a pair of Ghouls that've been targeting high schoolers from the private school, Mikado Academy, lately. Specifically, the kids that head towards home in the late evening once after-school activities are over. All the attacks have taken place on campus, so you can assume that the Ghouls have already infiltrated and made a nest within the school grounds or are trespassing when they deem is the best time for preying. Only two were reported to us, but beware...there may be more in hiding. They do like to prey in groups after all. This is your first mission, and I expect you to carry out orders properly. Remember, if you end up losing control and end up injuring one of our comrades, you're _dead meat_. Try your best to keep your teammates safe as well as the students. Oh, and yourself too while you're at it."

 _So I'm their maid as well as a guard dog. Great._

"I understand, Chief Kinuta."

* * *

"Hey, did you see her?"

"Yeah! Sooooo hot! I can't wait until we're admitted into high school next year!"

The three boys excitedly spoke amongst themselves, observing from the outskirts of the gym where the girls of the badminton club were preparing to practice their overhead serves. The time was only 4:30pm and after-school activities normally ended around 6:00pm according to reports. The Koda Unit had dispatched early to adapt to the environment and learn the setting of the school buildings. In battle, it'd be handy to memorize the placement of structures and use the surroundings to their advantage while battling ghouls. Since the school property wasn't as large as they had expected, the boys had free time to loiter around and admire the appearances of the older, female student athletes.

Koda looked to the far right side of him to check where Kyousuke was. The raven-haired man was sitting aloof on the steps to the entrance of another gymnasium, fiddling with his Trigger gun. Koda walked up to the lonely figure.

"Hey...how old are you anyways?" asked Koda curiously.

"..."

"Oh, well, you don't have to answer if you don't want to...not like I was _that_ curious-"

"I turned 21 four months ago."

"Four months ago? Around the time we met? Wow, you're so much older than us, I didn't realize ahaha! Well, despite the age gap, my Trigger wielding skills make up for it, so I'm still your superior no matter what, ahaha-!"

"...," Kyousuke resumed to being preoccupied by his weapon in hand, twirling the gun around his finger that hooked around the trigger.

"-aha...ha… So like, anyways, uh. You… You're half-Ghoul, right?" Koda asked, his voice lowered so his other teammates wouldn't overhear the question-not like they were paying attention anyways as they were ogling at a large chested second-year student who was revving up for her serve.

"Didn't HQ tell you this _before_ you were assigned to watch over me? I mean, that's the whole reason _why_ you're assigned to be my chaperone," Kyousuke replied, still twirling his gun.

"Yeah, well, I was just trying to start a conversation so I'd be able to ask the question I wanted to ask without being too abrupt and awkward!" Koda yelled back. Gasping, he whipped his head over his shoulder to see if Saotome and Hinoe had heard him yelling. They hadn't. Relieved, he turned back to Kyousuke.

"Well, I was just curious, y'know. And I can't help being curious since I'm only human. You're half-human so you should know that we're very curious creatures. And well, I wanted to know…well we're hunting two ghouls today right? Or I mean, maybe not just today. Maybe this mission will take longer 'cos maybe the ghouls won't show up today. But maybe we will see them today, and maybe we will hunt them down today….if we're strong enough," Koda rambled on, but his voice had diminished to a doubtful, worried tone at the last statement.

Kyousuke looked up from his weapon at last to observe the teen. His head was tilted forward, his chin tucked in. At his sides rested his hands that were clenched into fists.

Kyousuke propped his left elbow on his left knee and rested his chin on his palm that framed the side of his face. He thought to himself quietly for a few moments. The boy's mood had dropped quite quickly for some reason, which wasn't ideal for the situation that they were in. If they were attacked at this very instant, Koda wouldn't be able to think properly or act fast enough to save himself or anyone in general.

"Even _if_ we can't hunt down the ghouls, that doesn't mean we're weak," replied Kyousuke, not making eye contacting with Koda who had perked up at the sound of his voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Chief Kinuta told us we were targeting Ghouls in our mission. But wasn't Border established to protect Mikado City's citizens? So even if we can't kill the Ghouls, as long as we protect the students then we're definitely strong _enough_."

A few silent moments passed before Kyousuke looked above him at the standing boy. Koda held a surprised look on his face.

"What?" Kyousuke asked, irritated.

Koda stumbled on his words and replied, "Uh, well, I-You're-You just caught me off guard is all. I didn't think you were a decent guy that had decent thoughts."

Koda grinned and felt relieved by Kyousuke's words. Kyousuke, seeing the goofy look plastered on the teen's face, let out a huff and looked away in embarrassment.

"Hey, guys! The badminton team just finished practice. We think the time's nearing 6 o' clock soon. We should start to assume our positions," called out Hinoe.

"Alright!" called back Koda, and looking back down on Kyousuke, said, "so about that question I wanted to ask…I'll ask you sometime later. For now we should focus on our mission."

* * *

 **No Konami yet, again lol. Well good news for you! I already have the next chapter ready. This was supposed to be one long one, but I think it ended up being too long. So now I gotta split it into two chapters. Please review, comment, and follow if you like the story so far! Thanks! Kbye.**


	3. What is Strength

Chapter 3: What is Strength

Hinoe, Saotome, Koda, and Kyousuke hid in their assigned posts. Hinoe took his position by the entrance gate of the school. Saotome crouched on top of the outdoor corridor that connected the school building to the gymnasium in which the badminton players had been practicing in. As a shooter, Saotome would be able to spot and aim at the ghouls from from a long-distance range. Koda was also a shooter, so he took cover in the branches of a tree in the middle of the school grounds, which was conveniently surrounded by multiple other trees. Camouflaging and attacking from this spot was difficult as it would be easy to give away his position if he made a wrong move. However, being a more advanced shooter than Saotome and the leader of his unit, he decided to take this spot. As for Kyousuke, because he had never encountered Ghouls or Shadows before in battle, Koda ordered Kyousuke to take the position farthest from the entrance. Kyousuke remained by the entrance of the gymnasium where he had been conversing with Koda before.

"Bye, good job today!" cooed Hinoe at the badminton members passing by him and making their way out of school.

It was 7:00pm, an hour past the time students were finally dismissed from their activities. The lights inside the school remained on, but Koda Unit had been informed that according to school policy, lights were required to be left running so cameras could easily catch and record any suspicious activity that occurs during non-school hours. None of the team members knew about this policy because they never remained after school for any activities; they were too busy training at Border. Kyousuke was an exception-he never attended a public school.

By the time Koda's watch read "9:20pm," he called off the watch for the night. The school night guard was to arrive within the next 10 minutes and any student that stayed behind would receive punishment for remaining on school property.

"Meet here tomorrow at the same time. Don't be late," Koda ordered.

Without fail, the Koda Unit met at 4:30pm the next day. Hinoe and Saotome continued their antics, spying on the badminton club members. When practices and after-school club activities were adjourned, the four members took their positions and waited until nightfall. When 9:20pm came by again, Koda called off the watch and reminded everyone to meet at the same time the following day.

They team continued to diligently scout the school grounds for the rest of the week. Hinoe and Saotome eventually managed to get the numbers of some of the high school girls. They also managed to piss off their boyfriends by doing so and had their asses beat. Kyousuke and Koda on the other hand stayed away from the women.

"I'd be arrested if I accidentally went after a 16 year old girl," explained Kyousuke to the two boys that had inquired if he was a homosexual. Koda was simply disinterested. He had spent the hour and a half between their time of arrival and start of their surveillance at the school each day speaking to Kyousuke, trying to get to know him better as a leader. Originally Kyousuke was annoyed by the kid's presence; after all, he tended to ramble on and brag about nonexistent qualities. However, after a week of bonding, he began to grow a soft spot for the kid. Besides Jin, he was the only other person who tried getting to know him better. Hinoe and Saotome were too self-absorbed and indifferent towards Kyousuke's unsocial tendencies to put in any effort to bond with their teammate. Despite Kyousuke's original impression of Koda being a spoiled, immature, cocky individual-an impression that he still believed to hold true-he also realized that Koda had the potential to become a reliable leader. Kyousuke slowly came to acknowledge Border's decisions in granting Koda the head position of this unit. However, he was still baffled as to why he was stuck with such young, irritating little twerps to begin with.

"Uhm, so Kyousuke. About that question I never got around to asking you…"

"What about it? What did you want to ask me?"

"Er...hm. Well, maybe another time."

"Spit it out. You've been spitting out senseless crap all week, another senseless question won't change anything."

"Oi! You can't speak to your sensei like that! … Alright, fine," Koda scuffled his feet. The two were leaning their backs against the gymnasium wall, taking shelter in the provided by the ledge of the ceiling away from the evening sunset. The time was 6:40pm. The team decided that waiting a bit longer before hiding in their spots would be fine since most students didn't finish cleaning and gathering their belongings before 7:00

"I was just curious, y'know. With you being half-Ghoul and all. Uh... hey, does that transform too?"

Kyousuke gave Koda an incredulous look and an awkward silence took place.

"Ah! I'm just joking!"

 _This idiot_ , Kyousuke sighed aloud and face-palmed himself.

"What I _really_ wanted to know was...well, as a half-Ghoul, how do you feel about hunting down other Ghouls? Like, it'd be the same as me murdering another human, right? Except, our society views Ghouls and Shadows of the sort to be dangerous to society and are sought out to be eliminated. So basically, none of us agents really feel anything when we pull a trigger to a Ghoul's face. As for Shadows...I'm not really sure. To be honest, I've only ever hunted down two ghouls in my entire Border agent career. My unit is ranked at the very bottom out of all the teams. You were probably placed with us 'cos you're a rookie, but you'll probably surpass us sooner or later. But yeah, back to the topic. Since Shadows look like humans, I'm not really sure how agents feel when hunting them down. But you-I mean, you're basically being forced to hunt your own kind down! Doesn't that... _upset_ you in any way? Aren't you... _scared_?"

At first Kyousuke wasn't really paying attention to what Koda was saying. But compared to the other times, Koda was speaking in a more serious tone and this had caught Kyousuke's attention.

Kyousuke opened his mouth, paused before letting his voice out, reorganized his thoughts, and replied, "that is… a good question. I've never actually put any thought into it."

Koda looked to his side at Kyousuke and smiled, slightly amused at Kyousuke who was lost in thought. Remembering where they were and for what reason, he looked down at his watch

"Oh shit, it's 7:34pm. Heyyy, Hinoe! Saotome! Get into your positions!" called out Koda. No one responded to his order. He nervously looked around and spotted Hinoe at the entrance saying his goodbyes to a pair of girls. Kyousuke swatted Koda on the back.

"Quit being so tense. Hinoe was too preoccupied to hear you. If Hinoe is already in position that means Saotome is too. Besides, we have ear pieces remember? Just call in to Saotome through them before you start imagining weird things," reassured Kyousuke.

"R-right. Thanks, maid-I mean. Kyousuke."

" _Tch, twerp._ "

Kyousuke watched Koda walk past him as he headed toward the trees to begin his lookout.

 _Scared, huh..._?

* * *

By 7:45pm, everyone was in their positions. Today, the girls volleyball team had a home game that would last up until 8:00-9:00pm depending on how quickly one of the teams would finish off the other. Mikado Academy was well-known for having sport teams that ranked high in the nation and volleyball was no exception. However, they were versing Shizuka Academy's girls volleyball team which was also highly ranked. Kyousuke peered into the gymnasium where his post was assigned to be at. He observed the talented women dive for the balls and spike them over the tall nets in awe.

 _Huh? The left wing spiker on the Mikado Academy girls volleyball team...why does she seem so familiar?_

"-suke-Kyo-osu-OI. MAID. CAN YOU HEAR ME?" yelled Koda through the ear transmitting device.

"Oh, sorry. What's up?"

"You fucking idiot, pay attention will you?! We're on a mission, remember? Saotome said he just saw a Ghoul infiltrate the school grounds underneath the gates. I guess they avoided the entrance 'cos Hinoe is too fucking obvious and doesn't understand the meaning of 'hiding spots.' Well anyways, keep an eye out. We don't want any of the Ghouls entering the gymnasium since that's the only place where humans are gathered right now. Saotome is currently following where the Ghoul is headed. Hinoe is going to go and meet up with him. I want you to remain where you are, you understand? Whether or not you wanna evacuate everyone is up to you. I just don't want you to cause any sort of hysteria in there and making our job harder. And remember, even if you're not doing the hunting right now, you're still a part of this mission and doing your job of guarding everyone in that gym."

"I understand," replied Kyousuke. A nervous sweat trickled down from his temple. He didn't expect to feel so alarmed once the hunt officially began. He gripped tightly onto the weapon in his hands, shut his eyes, and let out a shaky breath.

 _Bam._

Kyousuke's eyes immediately snapped back open.

"The fuck was that?" he mumbled to himself.

"Nice point!"

"Nice hit!"

"You're definitely our ace, Kirie! We're almost at set point thanks to you!"

 _Good grief. It was just the volleyball match…_

Kyousuke looked ahead, past the corridor where Saotome originally was, and into the school building. The lights were on as usual. Except for one room.

 _No… it wasn't just the volleyball match. The school couldn't have changed its policy in one day._

Another room went dark, and this time flashes of green and yellow were visible, as well as red.

 _Red? Our Trion isn't red!_

Kyousuke hastily left his spot, returning in a split second and entering the gym for the first time.

"Hey, everyone! Listen up! The school has a gas leak. The fire department is gonna be here soon, so we'd like if you'd quickly leave the gym in case a fire occurs and spreads here," loudly announced Kyousuke.

"And who exactly are you?" inquired an elderly looking man, perhaps one of the coaches.

"I'm a student teacher here at Mikado Academy. Now if you may please and hurry…"

* * *

Kyousuke, after evacuating everyone from the gym which took about 10-20 minutes, quickly sprinted to the school building. More rooms were pitch black than before. No one had been answering his calls over the communication device.

 _Please don't be dead, please don't be dead, please don't be-_

"-dead! Kyousuke, he's dead…!" Koda held Saotome in his arms, covered in blood. The Ghoul had decided to feast on him rather than just simply infect him. Kyousuke discovered the two sitting on the grounds of one of the brightened classrooms. The desks were arranged messily as they were shoved aside as Koda dragged Saotome's body away from the Ghoul that had attacked him and into a room where they hadn't been attacked in yet. The trail of blood from Saotome's body led to the room where Hinoe was last seen fighting off the Ghoul, according to Koda.

Reluctant to tell Koda to let go of the deceased teammate out of pity, Kyousuke quickly departed to assist Hinoe.

* * *

"B-back off!" Hinoe yelled, weakly thrashing his Trigger sword at the enemy. He bared a few wounds from the clawing of the Ghoul before him.

"Hinoe!" Kyousuke yelled. Upon entering the dark room, Kyousuke's heart dropped. Before him was Hinoe. Before Hinoe was a Ghoul. And beside that Ghoul were five more Ghouls.

" _Only two were reported to us, but beware...there may be more in hiding. They do like to prey in groups after all,"_ Kyousuke recalled Kinuta warning him.

"Kyo-ousuke, that's-s you right?" Hinoe turned around slowly, his eyes meeting that of Kyousuke's. "I'm sorry, protect Ko-oda-!"

With those last few words, Hinoe fell onto the ground. From his spot, Kyousuke saw that Hinoe suffered from a large gash on his upper thigh and bled profusely from there. Before he witnessed the Ghouls preying on Hinoe, Kyousuke quickly exited the room. He could hear the Ghouls crunch into Hinoe's body. Quickly covering his nose from the bloody scent and trying to shut out the noises and scenery, Kyousuke tried to bite back the fangs that began to protrude from his mouth. The only stimuli that he was aware of that would make him morph partially into a Ghoul was witnessing a feeding or attacking scene. Holding his conscience in place, he opened his eyes to a wide-eyed, trembling Koda.

"You…. _traitor!_ You shut Hi-Hinoe in all by-by himself?!" Koda yelled aloud.

Kyousuke immediately brought his trembling hands to Koda's mouth.

"Shut up! They'll be able to hear you from inside!"

"No! Let go! I trusted you! I thought you didn't see Ghouls as your ally! And here you are giving them a free meal, you sick bastard!"

" _Koda, listen_ to me! Hinoe was killed as soon as I got in there. And you don't want me transforming and joining them in their hunt, do you?"

"Whatever! Get out of the way!"

Koda shoved Kyousuke to the side. Grasping onto the handles, he prepared to slide open the door. However, a chill ran down his spine. The room quieted down on the inside, and an eerie silence passed through the halls.

"Hey...Kyousuke? You're still there right?"

"Obviously. Koda, _do not_ open that door. Hinoe's already dead. We should scram. I've already evacuated everyone so don't worry. There's no way we can take on these Ghouls. There's _six_ total in there!"

"Kyousuke...Kyousuke, you remember what you said to me before, right?"

"What are you talking about now?! _Let's go Koda. Now._ "

"About being strong enough… Oh well. It doesn't matter if you remember or not, ahaha. Well, in the end, I don't think the Koda Unit was very strong at all. But you, Kyousuke, you protected all those people in the gym just now! It's been awhile since the Koda Unit was formed at Border, and we haven't improved much at all. But you have the potential to grow into something _more._ "

"We don't have time for your fucking rambling Koda. Any time _besides_ now would be acceptable."

"I'm sorry I called you a traitor."

" _Koda_."

"I'm fine with this. I'm their leader, and as a leader it's my duty to avenge my team," Koda stated, his voice no longer shaking. He slid open the door. The entire middle ground was flooded with Hinoe's blood and hand and footprints were scattered all over the place. The desks were destroyed, and well as Hinoe's body, which lay listless on the ground. The windows were opened unlike before when Kyousuke was in there moments ago. No Ghouls were in sight.

"Hey, Kyousuke... _do you think I've become strong enough_?"

Kyousuke held back his hand that had been inching toward Koda to pull him away from the door.

"...mm!" Kyousuke acknowledged, nodding his head and keeping his teary eyes lowered. " _You've become strong._ "

Koda slid the door shut, and Kyousuke could hear him lock it from the inside. He flung himself towards the door and began banging on it, begging Koda to come out or at least to let him inside. Within a few moments, loud screeches could be heard from the room and blood was splattered across the window of the sliding door, skewing Kyousuke's vision of what was occurring inside.

" _You idiot!_ " Kyousuke cursed at Koda and at himself. "Aren't I your teammate too? Your entire team hadn't perished yet, so why….why leave me behind to be alone again…"

Looking back up, the blood had dripped down, giving a clearer view of the feeding scene inside. Only three Ghouls remained behind to devour Koda.

Kyousuke began to lose control of his conscience. His eyes darkened from their regular golden hue to a scarlet red color. His teeth elongated and sharpened, and well as his nails. His arms began to take on an irregular shape, similar to the lengthened, lankier arms of the Ghouls inside the room.

 _No. I don't want to lose control. Please. I don't want to join their feeding. Someone-_

Kyousuke was pulled and dragged by his left arm. The unknown figure led him to the outside of the school grounds and into a telephone booth. Battling his Ghoul conscience with his human conscience, he didn't have the energy to spare to resist the pulling on his arm.

He was shoved down into a sitting position, his legs bent in front of him, his arms holding him up on both sides with his back against the wall of the telephone booth for support. On top of him was a woman. She straddled his legs and leaned over him while grasping his hands firmly to the ground so he wouldn't lash out on her by impulse. She was wearing tight, spandex, volleyball apparel.

 _Gh. What's going on?_

Kyousuke's vision became to become slightly clearer and his headache was less violent.

 _This...There's a girl? Such long hair… Strawberry blonde...Hm? Wasn't she that team's ace? The one that looks familiar. The one that looks...like..the girl..in my dreams..?_

… _.._

 _Huh?_

She brought her face closer to his. Her breath smelled like fresh strawberries and intoxicated Kyousuke. As her lips met his, he slowly allowed himself to melt underneath the warm, spring sun that was painted in his mind. Her tongue felt like butter as it slipped across his, and they gently caressed his fangs that slowly morphed back into his regular teeth shape. Her arms loosened on his as they, too, also slowly transformed back into their original human proportions. He shook off her hold and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, deepening the sweet, addicting kiss. Her strawberry blonde hair sprawled around the two of them messily. Her fingers found their way to Kyousuke's raven-black hair and entangled them into his roots.

Kyousuke had transformed completely back to normal. When the woman broke off the kiss, she locked her crystal-clear, sky blue eyes with his golden ones for a brief second before kissing his eyes shut.

"Good night," she breathed, enveloping Kyousuke in the strawberry, spring scent once more.

 _Her name….I remember it being said...It was-_

"K-Kirie…"

After that, in a split second, Kyousuke lost his consciousness.

* * *

 **I told you I was impatient LOL. Yayyyyyy she's here and yayyyyy things got steamy fast. RIP Koda Unit. They're annoying in the anime but I actually kinda grew fond of them the more I wrote about them in my story :( wah. I'll see you guys next time! Please leave comments, reviews, and follow my story if you like it! Kbye.**


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